Haughton-Mars Project Announces Media Field Visit Opportunity

Kathleen Burton

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

(Phone: 650/604-1731, 650/604-9000)

kburton@mail.arc.nasa.gov

Kelly Humphries

NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

(Phone: 281/244-5050)

kelly.o.humphries1@jsc.nasa.gov

Release: J00-41

News media are invited to participate in a NASA Haughton-Mars Project
(HMP-2000) field site visit during the period of July 19-22 on Devon
Island, Nunavut, in the Canadian High Arctic.

Media must coordinate visit requests to the HMP-2000 Base Camp at
Haughton with the Office of Communication at NASA Ames Research Center,
Moffett Field, CA. Media representatives must email an application by
June 30 to: kburton@mail.arc.nasa.gov. Application forms are on the
Internet at:
http://george.arc.nasa.gov/dx/basket/pressrelease/00_45AR.html.

HMP-2000 is a NASA-led international field research program centered on
the scientific study of the Haughton impact crater and its surroundings,
Devon Island, Nunavut, Arctic Canada. “The Haughton-Mars Project
provides an opportunity for synergistic studies among team members
composed of planetary scientists, geologists, biologists and engineers
from information technologies, robotics, human exploration and human
factors,” said Dr. Kelly Snook, NASA HMP Project Manager at NASA Ames
Research Center, in California’s Silicon Valley.

Haughton Crater is accessed by aircraft from Resolute Bay, Cornwallis
Island, Canada. The site’s rocky polar desert setting, geological
features and biological attributes have been studied for the past three
field seasons by experts from NASA and other institutions. The crater
and surrounding terrain are good sites for Mars analog studies,
according to scientists.

“Our field investigations at Haughton are providing insights into the
evolution of Mars, the effects of impacts on Earth, and the
possibilities of life in extreme environments,” said Principal
Investigator for the HMP, Dr. Pascal Lee of the SETI Institute, Mountain
View, CA. “The field work also provides an opportunity to study the
feasibility of, and requirements for, possible future robotic and human
missions to Mars.”

Events of interest during the HMP-2000 media field site visit
opportunity will include: interviews with NASA spokespeople and
HMP-2000 investigators, including Drs. Lee and Snook, and an inside
look at planetary exploration research in the relatively harsh,
“Mars-like” environment of Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic
comprising:

– Mars analog field work in impact geology, valley and canyon formation,
ground-ice research and studies of life in extreme environments and its
implications for astrobiology, the study of the origin, evolution and
future of life in the universe;

– field studies in information systems, robotics, spacesuit design and
other Mars exploration enabling technologies;

– simulated Earth-to-Mars “Mission Control” crew communications and
mission support research, telemedicine experiments and human factors
studies with NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.

To learn more about HMP-2000 and the media field site opportunity, go
to: http://george.arc.nasa.gov/dx/basket/pressrelease/00_45AR.html (the
NASA Ames Office of Communication website). Information about requesting
an on-site visit and narrative information about HMP-2000 are posted
there. For further information about HMP-2000 research, including field
activities updates, go to: http://www.arctic-mars.org (the HMP-2000
website).

In addition to the media field opportunity, videotape b-roll will be
available via satellite on NASA-TV between July 19 and 22. The NASA
Video File normally airs at noon, 3:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m. and
midnight EDT. NASA Television is available on GE-2, transponder 9C at 85
degrees West longitude, with vertical polarization. Frequency is on
3880.0 megahertz, with audio on 6.8 megahertz.

Please Note: NASA may limit media access to the field site at any time,
as required by ongoing research, available space and logistical support.

Due to the expeditionary nature of the HMP-2000 research project and the
many factors involved in its implementation and execution (including
weather, flight schedules, etc.), invited media participants are
cautioned that all plans, events or schedules in the field may change or
be subject to cancellation without advance notice.

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